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State Police Probe Possible Taser Death

Investigation Into Teen's Death Begins

POSTED: 1:54 pm EDT March 22, 2009
UPDATED: 1:01 pm EDT March 24, 2009

An autopsy has been completed on a Bay City teen who died over the weekend -- after being shocked with a Taser by police. But the autopsy results will not be released for a number of weeks.

It happened Sunday morning when police were called to a home in the 200 block of Catherine Street for fighting.

Police said when they attempted to break up the scuffle, 15-year-old Brett Elder started swinging at them. That's when they used the Taser, they said.

The teen was taken to the hospital and later died. Both the family and the deputy police chief painted a different picture about what happened.

"He was flopping around and looked like a fish out of water," said Elder’s aunt Cindy Hernden. "That’s the only way to explain it -- his whole body was bent over."

Hernden admitted Elder attempted to punch the officers but said the use of a Taser gun was excessive since her nephew was already in handcuffs.

"He was handcuffed behind his back and they were Tasing him," said Hernden.

However, Deputy Chief Thomas Pletzke told TV5 that Elder was not handcuffed when the Taser was used.

"The subject was not handcuffed when the Taser was deployed," said Pletzke.

Elder was pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center.

The officer who used the Taser is on administrative leave, standard procedure used by Bay City police in situations like these.

Taser International will be in town this week to investigate the Taser that was used on the teen. The group is working with the Michigan State Police -- which is leading the investigation.

Meanwhile, a fund has been set up to help with funeral costs for the Bay City teen. It’s called the Brett Elder Funeral Fund and donations can be made at any National City Bank branch.

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